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Japanese National Police Investigating Games

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the can't-be-good dept.

Gamasutra reports that, like here in the states, Japanese games are coming under increased scrutiny by law-enforcement and politicians. From the article: "Japan's National Police Agency is currently investigating the effects playing video games and watching anime have on children. Currently being led by former deputy governor of Tokyo, Yutaka Takehana, the police-sponsored group met on April 10 in Tokyo to discuss topics such as violent video games and sexual content on the internet."

2 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. You people joke, but... by Valdrax · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The Japanese are viewed by many Americans as all lovers of anime, video games, and all the other "pop" culture things that we love to import from them. However, the truth is much different.

    Anime & video games in Japan is largely split into two different groups:
    1) For kids and shown on public TV.
    2) For geeks and loners and shown on subscription channels and direct to video shows.

    The average adult attitude about adults that spend a lot of time watching anime & video games is very dim thanks to widely publicized crimes by loners over the past two decades. These isolated incidents are basically the equivalent of the D&D killings in the 80s, Columbine, etc. over here and have resulted in a very similar attitude in the Japanese public about the otaku. While there's little religious fundamentalist opposition to the fan service, porn, and violence in adult targetted anime, the mainstream public still views it as unseemly and regards fans with suspicion.

    I'm personally surprised they haven't launched an investigation sooner.

    --
    If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
    1. Re:You people joke, but... by Turn-X+Alphonse · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You're correct and incorrect at the same time. Watching anime and playing games isn't looked down on at all, it's considered normal for everyone untill they hit 14-15, at which time they more or less force their kids at knife point to be working on school work 7 days a week for 23 hours a day.

      Being anti social is where the "problem" lays. Japan has a very 1984ish look on people being on their own. Everyone should be with others and constantly be doing something constructive, if you arn't you must be "one of them outsiders" and you get weird looks and such.

      Plus in Japan you work to the bone and you accept it. That's how the society is and always will be.. but watching anime or playing games isn't looked down on, it's the fact that you arn't at work and arn't around people/in a social club that is.

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